THE COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION MOVEMENT. Developing a Common Understanding for the NC-CBE Incubator

THE COMPETENCY-BASED

EDUCATION MOVEMENT

Developing a Common Understanding for the NC-CBE Incubator

Your Public Agenda Team

¨  Who Is Public Agenda?

¤  Nonprofit and nonpartisan organization that helps improve

the quality, and accelerate the pace, of problem solving on behalf of improved outcomes for students of all

backgrounds

¨  Alison Kadlec, PA Senior Vice President & Director of Higher

Education & Workforce Programs

¨  Erin Knepler, PA Associate Director of Higher Education &

Workforce Programs

¨  Charla Long, Higher Ed Consultant, Former Founding Dean and

Creator of Lipscomb’s CBE efforts

¨  Jim Selbe, Higher Ed Consultant, Former President of Hopkinsville

Higher Education Today

¨  General education and major fields of study

¤ Combination of courses

¤ Learning outcomes

¨  Fixed time periods for coursework

¨  Know what you know when time runs out

¨  Faculty and section variability

¤ Learning materials and activities

¤ Assessments

Drivers: The Need to Be First

¨  Percentage of jobs requiring postsecondary

education has doubled over last 40 years.

¨  In 1970, roughly 75% of middle class had H.S.

diploma. By 2007, decreased to less than 40%.

¨  In 1990, U.S. was 1st in the world for completion.

Today, ranked 12th_.

¨  ½ of children from high-income families have

bachelor’s degree by 25, while only 1 in 10 for low-income.

69% could not perform basic tasks

1/3 of employers say grads not ready

¨  Spend $126 billion on T&D or $1,200 per

employee

¨  Another $20 billion on tuition reimbursement

¨  Yet, employers report dissatisfaction

¤  Only 7% believe higher education does “excellent” job in

preparing students for the workplace

¤  84% say “underprepared” for the workplace

Hiring Decision Makers Reveal Gaps

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Importance Performance

Future Workforce Needs

Sense-Making New Media Literacy

Social Intelligence Trans-disciplinary

Novel & Adaptive Thinking Design Mindset

Cross-Cultural Competency Cognitive Load Management Computational Thinking Virtual Collaboration

Large Skill Gaps in the Future

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Future Importance Today's Performance

Competence More Important Than Degree

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

The type of degree(s) that job applicants have completed

The specific skills and ability that job applicants demonstrate

By a 9 to 1 ratio, hiring decision-makers believe skills and ability are more important than the type of degree a candidate possesses

Other Drivers: The Iron Triangle

Cost

Every workplace role, profession and academic

discipline, is, at the simplest level, a collection of

competencies.

¤  Every role has a unique competency combination.

¤  Every role requires different levels of competence.

What are Competencies?

Knowledge

Skills

Ability

Attitude

C-BEN Version

¨  Competency-based education is a flexible way for students

to get credit for what they know, build on their knowledge and skills by learning more at their own pace, and earn

high-quality degrees, certificates, and other credentials that help them in their lives and careers.

¨  Students in these programs show what they know and how

well they know it by participating in multiple ways of evaluating learning.

¨  This is another choice for learning that many colleges and

universities offer through a variety of programs, with a full array of support services to help students as needed.

The CRAC Definition

¨  “An accreditor will consider a program to be

competency-based when all of the courses (for the program, for general education, for the major) have learning goals expressed as competencies approved at the program level (i.e., any instructor teaching a course will teach it as a competency-based course) and each student is required to demonstrate mastery of every competency in a course to earn credit… for such course.” (Regional Accreditors Announce

Common Framework for Defining and Approving Competency-Based Education Programs)

Common Characteristics

¨  Time is variable, learning is fixed

¨  Mastery or proficiency

¨  Rigorous assessments

¨  Focused on the student journey

To Summarize CBE

THIS THAT

Traditional Semester-Base Flexible Enrollment National Competency Model NC Custom Model Traditional Faculty Role Unbundled Faculty Role Textbooks, Prescribed Readings Open Educational Resources

Sequenced Scaffolded

Vendor-Provided Assessments NC Designed Assessments On-ground Learning Online/BlendedLearning Traditional Transcript Competency-Based Transcript Traditional Revenue & Cost Model Innovative Revenue & Cost Model

OR OR OR OR OR OR OR OR

OR, something in between? OR

CBE Framework Continuum

Wide Range of Models Nationally

Course-based, integrates discrete competencies into a single course No courses, no credit hours, know competencies, graduate Learning measured by direct assessment standardized tools Learning measured by

seat time and teacher-created assessments

NC CBE Design Elements: Recommendations

& Guide for Consensus Building

¨  Part A – Recommendations

¤ Five foundational recommendations

¤ Developed by Incubator College Leads

¤ Current research and SME

¤ Reflect conditions in NC

¤ Brief description and justification for proposed

approach

¨  Part B – Guide for Building Consensus

¤ 18 design elements with range of approaches

U.S. Department of Education (2001)

Conceptual Learning Model

Dear Colleague Letter

“Competency-based approaches to education have

the potential for assuring the quality and extent of

learning, shortening the time to degree/certificate

completion, developing stackable credentials that

ease student transitions between school and work, and

reducing the overall cost of education.”

Direct assessment of student learning “in lieu of measuring student learning in credit hours or clock hours” may qualify for federal financial aid

Other Signs of Support

¨  U.S. Department of Education

¤  First in the World Grants

¤  Experimental sites

¨  Congressional Support

¤  Bi-partisan interest in CBE

¤  Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN)

¨  Competency-Based Education Network

¤  34 pioneer institutional members, including four public systems and 82

campuses

The NC-CBE Incubator

¨  Why? Why Now?

¨  Who’s at the Table?

¤ Interdepartmental teams from each college

¤ NCCCS leadership and team

NC-CBE Incubator

Monumental Task

¨  Many choices and many models

¤ No blueprint, rather design elements

n NC CBE Design Elements: Recommendations & Guide for

Consensus Building

¤ Advance national best practice model innovation

¤ Framework to support future CBE innovation

¤ Create grassroots version that reflects needs of North

Carolina

Design Lenses

CBE Business Process

CBE Policy Framework

CBE Information Technology Integration CBE Student Support Services CBE Curriculum Improvement

What’s Already Accomplished

¨  Research of best practice institutions

¨  Relationships with National experts / practitioners

¨  Generous support and resources provided by

President’s Association, Community College Board, and the NCCCS to conduct this experiment

¨  NC-CBE Design Elements created to guide work

¨  Teams organized and engaged through calls and

Design Workshop

¨  September 22-23 in Charlotte at Harris Conference

Center, CPCC Harris Campus

¤ Most arriving on Monday, September 21

¤ Tuesday, September 22 8:30-5:00 p.m.

¤ Wednesday, September 23 8:00-3:00 p.m.

¤ Continental breakfast and lunch provided

¨  Facilitated process

¨  Curriculum Elements

¤  Competency – Definition

¤  Mastery – Definition

¤  Competency Frameworks

¤  General Education Course Selection & Sequencing

¤  Competency Mapping and Validation

¤  Assessment

¨  Academic and Student Support Elements

¤  Academic Calendar

¤  Integrated Planning and Advising Services (IPAS) Systems & Technology

¤  Financial Aid

¤  Grading, Articulation, and Credit Transfer

¤  Competency-Based Transcription  

NC CBE Design Elements: Recommendations

& Guide for Consensus Building

¨  Business and Policy Group Elements

¤  Faculty & Staffing Models

¤  Business Model

¤  Policy Framework

¤  Professional Development

¨  Quality and Professional Resources Group Elements

¤  Quality Assurance Strategies and Structures

¤  Educational Technology Provider Relationships & Digital Learning

Environment

¤  Learning Resources  

NC CBE Design Elements: Recommendations

& Guide for Consensus Building

Design with the End in Mind

NC-CBE AAS Learning & Business Plan NC-CBE Design Elements RFI: NC-CBE Incubator All-College & College Leads Webinar NC Design Workshop Convening A Ton of Hard Work Key Deliverables

Recommendations & Standards on Design Elements Action Plan Policy Framework Key Deliverables Management Plan Timeline Policy Framework Engagement Strategy Budget Build & Pilot for NC-CBE AAS pathway

Others on the Journey

¨  Employers

¨  Vendors

¨  Regional Accrediting Bodies

¨  U.S. Department of Education

¨  North Carolina Legislature

¨  Regional & National Foundations

Next Steps

¨  Review the materials

discussed during webinar

¤  Basecamp library of

videos, essential writings

¤  Read Design Elements

document

¨  Think about what this

could look like for North Carolina, then for your institution’s students

¨  Come with collaborative

spirit, ready to build consensus